The use of pliable conduit or "hose" is common in a variety of mechanical devices. Hoses are used to supply hot and cold water to washing machines; they circulate engine coolant and "anti-freeze" to automobile radiators; they provide conduit for drilling fluids during oil well drilling operations; and so on.
As with any other feature within a mechanical device, hoses are subject to wear and deterioration. Degenerative forces exist both inside and outside of a hose which can cause internal failure. Fluid carried within a hose may be corrosive, either because of the chemical composition of the fluid, because of abrasive particulants invading the fluid, or because of high fluid temperature. Likewise, outside forces such as temperature fluctuations, ozone, and weathering, not to mention compression and extension from use (and abuse) will produce deterioration of the hose. These forces create an environment in which, given enough time, a hose will experience failure.
The consequences of failure in a hose can be dramatic. The clothes washing machine hose which splits can cause extensive water damage to carpet and woodwork. The radiator hose which loses containment can produce a cracked block when the engine overheats, ultimately rendering the vehicle immobile. The mud hose on a drilling rig which leaks causes a loss of hydrostatic pressure in the well, creating the potential for a "kick" in the formation and a subsequent "blowout", costing investors a great deal of money.
An incident of hose failure can also create a risk of personal injury. The motorist stranded on the road because of a leak in water or radiator fluid is in self-evident danger.
The first thought towards prevention of hose failure would be to create a stronger hose. This could be done by either manufacturing a more durable or wear-resistant material, or by increasing the wall thickness of the hose. Purely from the standpoint of loss prevention, these remedies are perfectly adequate. However, from a functional standpoint the alteration of material or the increase in wall thickness renders the hose less pliable. This, in turn, renders the conduit less of a pliable hose which can be bent or twisted for use and transportation, and more of a rigid pipe. The end result is a conduit which is difficult to manipulate and more expensive to produce.
A more attractive remedy would be to create a hose containing within it an early warning system for failure. In this way, the imminent failure of a hose from within could be detected. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an early warning system through the use of a fluid detector within the hose wall.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an electrical warning system which can be installed into hoses made of material common in the current technology, and which could be installed during the manufacturing process.
It is another object of the present invention to have an electrical system for the detection of internal hose failure, where warning is provided in an easily observable external manner.
It is also an object of the present invention to have an electrical system of detecting hose failure which can be utilized in a variety of hoses, and for a variety of mechanical applications, such system having utility for any pliable hose carrying conductive fluid under pressure.
Further, it is an object of this invention to have an electrical system of detecting hose failure created by placing two electrical leads between a primary (internal) hose, and a secondary (external) hose, with the ends of the electrical leads being connected to a circuit including a low voltage power source and an alarm such as a light, the alarm being activated when the primary hose is penetrated and the fluid escapes into the annular space between the hoses, contacting the lead wires and thereby closing the circuit.
It is also an object of the current invention to have a coaxially aligned reinforcement hose capable of carrying electrical current which can be attached to an ordinary faucet fastener by a short hose stem, by placing a two-hose clamp over the stem and the hose.